Baby It's Cold Outside
by The StripedHatter
Summary: When the snow's gliding past, they go outside to play. When the snow's smacking windows, they struggle for words to say. BBRae. Starts out a friendship, then holds a romantic sway. T because I'm paranoid. Not a poem, I just love rhyming. X3


**Hey! It's been a while since I've done anything related to FF. I pulled this little fic together real quick, not quite sure how much I like it myself but... I don't like most of my stuff anyways. X3 Well, I hope you enjoy it, anyways! Written in the spirit of winter.**

**2,596 words... I feel so accomplished to have done that after so long not writing anything.**

**Let me know what you think!**

* * *

The music played dimly in the background, as it always did during the season. The team would set up a stereo in the main ops room to play Christmas music 24/7. Somehow, in a manner unexplainable to reason, there were very few repeats during a week. If there were any at all.

_They never let poor Rudolph,  
Join in any reindeer games._

The TV was blank, and the sounds of video games were banished. All there was to be observed was the low crackling of a pine fire, set in the newly built hearth, and the brush of boxing pages against one another as they were turned.

The team was silent, simply basking in the lazy winter day; surrounded by each other and just overall rather comfortable. Each donned a set of winter civvies. Robin was reclined lazily on the couch, Starfire tucked neatly against his side and caged by his arm in the casual _'couple embrace'_. Cyborg was indulging himself on some Christmas cookies, however for decency decided to eat at the slow pace of a minute per cookie, with five minute breaks between. Raven was reading a book on ancient religions while nursing a warm mug. For the sake of the holidays, she had prepared herself hot chocolate as opposed to the usual tea. Even went as far as to top it with whipped cream and a cherry.

Lastly, Beast Boy was seated by the window, head resting lightly on the glass. He watched as the snow drifted down; up, through, and below his vision, they made their careful descent. He let out a deep, calm breath and slipped his eyes closed. It wasn't often the team had silent moments like these, and even if he didn't really prefer them on a daily basis, they were nice when they came. He wasn't always yearning for activity. After all, every animal needs rest in some form.

_ Then one frosty Christmas eve,  
Santa came to say:  
Rudolph with your nose so bright,  
Won't you guide my sleigh tonight?_

Beast Boy snapped his eyes open when something soft and warm came in contact with his shoulder. The smell of lavender swirled around his senses, and he looked up to his right with curious eyes. Raven wasn't looking at him. Rather she was staring serenely out the window. Her left hand was splayed on his shoulder and her right hand still clutched her novel, index finger marking the page so it wouldn't close and loose her place.

He smiled warmly, forcing his eyes away from her and to the window when she cut a small glance at him from the corner of her eyes. _'Oops,'_ He smirked, _'Caught red handed.'_

She shook her head lightly. After standing next to him for a bit, she decided to sit instead. She used him as a balance when she lowered herself, putting a bit of pressure on his shoulder as she did so. He stiffened lightly, smirk melting off of his face. She noticed, and the sly grin he had slid to her face instead.

Deciding it might be fun to play with him, she ran her hand down his arm slowly, finally returning her hand to her own lap after hearing his breath hitch. Some might call her cruel, many more even deem her a sadist. At times like these though, she just likes to consider herself human. She isn't taking delight in fear or pain, she's taking delight in discomfort. In cases including Beast Boy, they're generally the kind of discomfort that he's okay with. Why? Simply for the sake that she doesn't feel like a wicked demon when she knows she _can_ fool around with people without destroying somebody's life.

He shook his head, but returned to his lazy snow watching, following her example. He was alright with whatever foul play she delivered to him, so long as only his mental state was degraded.

It was when she opened her book and started to read that he briefly wondered if she had finished her cocoa already. He turned his torso around to see. However, Beast Boy couldn't see a trace of the mug. _'Must be in the dish washer.' _He returned to the window, but stopped halfway when he noticed Raven gazing at him skeptically, brow raised and lips pursed.

He blinked in a _what?_ manner and finished turning to watch the snow. From his peripherals, he saw her shake her head lightly and faced the window once more.

"Sometimes," she cleared her throat, "sometimes I wonder if in essence, snow in the South Pole falls up."

He looked at her peculiarly. "Seems like an odd thing for you to wonder."

Raven returned the look. "I realize. I know the science, and I know the logic. But… simplistically. Does it fall in the direction of _up_ as opposed to _down_?" She seemed frustrated by the wording.

He took a moment to think though, considering what she was saying. "No I-I think I get it. Like, you wanna know if… ya know, for example… if the world was flattened, would the snow in the South go up, and meet with the snow going down in the North. Same going for the other vectors of location around the globe."

She considered, nodding slowly. "Yeah… something like that."

Beast Boy used her thoughtful distraction as an opportunity to study her. The soft curve of her face and nose, her rounded lips, the arch of her brows, the curl of her lashes, and the sparkle of her indigo eyes as they… looked… right… at him. He blinked and snapped his gaze back to the windows. _'Caught again.'_

Her gaze lingered on him for a little longer. If he could stare at her, why shouldn't she be able to stare at him? He had matured much over the years. He was no longer the skimpy, short child he once was. He was certainly still immature and childish at heart; that was for sure. He'd grown lean, though. Still skinny, but he did have light muscles to flaunt. He was a bit taller, but still the shortest of the males on the team. Not by more than a few inches, though. His facials were more chiseled, and very closely resembling his more animalistic nature. In all, Raven now found him to be rather dashing.

As with many other women, whom he tended to enjoy being around. He loved the attention, and he loved to think he was such a ladies man.

Abruptly, she stood up.

"Where are you going?" Beast Boy questioned.

"Why don't you find out?" She walked out of the room, heading towards the elevator. He hurried to follow.

Once they were down at base level, Raven led him to the main door. She moved to the coat rack and pulled a long, black coat over her sweater and jeans, as well as wrapping a purple scarf around her neck. She reached for the hat Star made her last Christmas and pulled it over her head, then equipped her hands with matching mittens from the year before. She turned and watched as Beast Boy followed suit with a coat and hat of his own on top of his own jeans and tee.

"No scarf or gloves?"

He grinned. "Nah, they just get in my way."

She scoffed and rolled her eyes, "Sure thing." Then she snatched his arm and brought him outside. As soon as the door was closed, she returned her hands to herself quickly in a sudden act of bashfulness. She hadn't meant to grab him in the first place. She took a short breath out, though, and looked up at him.

"What?" Beast Boy asked in a light chuckle.

"Nothing much," she responded. She reached out with her black energy, and all of a sudden Beast Boy was pelted with a wave of snowballs.

He let out a yelp, dropping to a crouch and covering his face. As soon as it was over, he jumped up laughing. "Oh, you're so on." He raced to make a few snowballs of his own and chucked one at her smirking face and another at her stomach.

She managed to evade the first one just fine, but she was too distracted and was nailed by the second. She fell back with an _'oof'_ and nearly lost her hat. She readjusted it, making a quick snowball as she stood up. He smirked in challenge. Raven shook her head, a small smile making its way to her features. She took a small step back, lining her side up with him, and threw the ball as hard as she could.

He watched it sail by, "Hah! You missed you bad ai-" As soon as he turned back around he was met with a mouthful of snow. "You cheater!" He laughed joyously, swooping down to make some more snowballs.

They played various snow related games for a few hours, and even made a couple snowmen. It was when the sky started to fade that the two noticed the cold and reddened limbs. Beast Boy slung an arm over Raven's shoulders, and she was too exhausted to care. She leaned against him as they made their way back into the tower, breaths panted and strained.

Cyborg was walking through the halls on the main level, probably headed towards the pantry, when he heard the door start to open. He stopped and backpedaled until he was standing right before the door, arms crossed and knowing expression on his face. He had seen them chucking things at each other outside from the window a few hours ago.

They entered, Beast Boy clasping Raven and Raven draped over Beast Boy's side. They looked rather in a good mood, but incredibly tired. As soon as they saw Cyborg though, their eyes snapped open and Raven leapt away from him.

"Uh-huh," Cyborg intoned. "That's right. Act all innocent, Rae. _Everybody's_ gonna believe that lil', 'jump-away-'cause-I-wasn't-doin'-nothing' thing you just did. I must be imagining things, because it looked like you were just hugging BB. I must be dehydrated!"

"Cy."

"No seriously B, was that just me? I need to see a shrink."

"Cy," Beast Boy tried again.

"I must need to clean my hard drive out! It's goi-"

"Cy!"

"What?"

Beast Boy rolled his eyes. "She left. A while ago."

Cyborg looked around to find that she had indeed teleported herself away, winter accessories put neatly away. "Oh."

"Yeah. Oh," Beast Boy left in a laughing fit.

.:..:..:.

_I really can't stay.  
But Baby, It's cold outside.  
I've got to go away.  
But Baby, it's cold outside._

It was the day after Raven took Beast Boy outside, and it was a blizzard. Wind whipped the snow around roughly, the gorgeous swirls of white bearing down harshly on the terrain. All of the titans had decided to wear their normal uniforms, not much in the mood for cotton. Princess Koriand'r was snuggled up against her boyfriend's side, tucked comfortably under a plush blanket. Cyborg was shoveling down a plate of gingerbread men. Raven was reading '_A Christmas Carol' _and sipping on a mug of warm eggnog. She hadn't wanted to drink it, and thought it was horrific in taste. Cyborg convinced her to try it, though. Beast Boy was watching with a morbid sort of fascination as the snowflakes bombarded the window in violent attacks.

In the background was the dull hum of Christmas music and crackle of the fire in the hearth, now four days old and still red-bricked. Raven turned the last page of her novel and set it down, as well as the still three quarter full mug. She stood and stretched, moving to sit next to Beast Boy again. This time, there was no contact. She sat a solid foot away from him.

They were silent, regarding only the snow outside the window. After a good half hour, she stood with every intention to return to her room. He reached up and snatched her wrist in one swift motion, though, to keep her from leaving. She looked back with a question in her eyes.

_My mother will start to worry.  
Beautiful, what's you hurry?  
My father will be pacing the floor.  
Listen to the fireplace roar._

He pulled her down to him, causing her to crash into his side. They fell to Beast Boy's back, Raven halfway on top of him. He smiled up at her, but she only shook her head and moved to get up. He placed his hands on her waist and back, pressing her to him as to restrict her from leaving.

She glared disapprovingly. She didn't want to catch the attention of the others, so she was sure to whisper at a volume below the sounds of the music and fire, "Beast Boy. What are you doing?"

He slid one of his hands up her back, resting it on her neck. The weight of his limb brought her face closer to his. "Not much," he whispered back. "You?"

Raven shook her head, "Let me go Beast Boy."

_My sister will be suspicious.  
Gosh, your lips look delicious.  
My brother will be there at the door.  
Waves upon a tropical shore._

Weaving his fingers through her hair, his gaze roamed over her face. "I never thanked you," he mumbled.

"For what?"

He smirked, "Taking me out for some fun. I always figured it would be the other way around."

Rolling her eyes, she squirmed a little in hopes that his hold on her may have loosened. It hadn't. "I simply had nothing better to do. Might as well have figured out what the big draw in snow activities was."

"Admit it," he wiggled his brows. "You loved it."

She slapped him lightly, making only a dull and barely audible thud. Then she slid her hands to rest on top if his chest, wedged between their bodies. "I will admit to no such thing."

"Mmm," he smiled warmly, eyes gaining a thick quality. Raven tried to distance herself.

"What is it?" she asked quietly.

The corner of his lip raised lightly, revealing the tip of his fang. Her heart raced and her mind screamed in panic, but all her body did was melt into his grip. The hand on her neck tugged lightly, pulling her closer and closer yet to his warmth.

When her lips landed on his, her eyes fluttered closed and her hands spread on his chest from their previous fisted position. His own eyes slid to a close, and his own hands traveled and pulled her closer, ever closer. It was soft, gentle, but full of so much passion and pent up _longing_.

_My maiden aunt's mind is vicious.  
Gosh your lips are delicious.  
But maybe just a cigarette more.  
Never such a blizzard before._

They parted in what almost seemed as an unwilling manner. Beast Boy's face donned a wide, endearing grin, while Raven looked rather more… confused.

"What?" Beast boy whispered in question.

She shook her head slowly, "Nothing… just wondering what that was for."

He slid his hand out of her hair, moving it to rest on her face. "I felt like it."

Her nosed twitched, "That's it?"

A smirk crawled along his features, a smirk that gave her eyes a frowning quality. He swiped his thumb along her cheek, though, and the fell to putty in his arms. "Is it?"

_Baby, it's cold…  
Baby, it's cold outside!_


End file.
